


Breathless at My Door

by Footloose



Series: Loaded March EXTRAS [11]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Military, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 06:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/833966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Footloose/pseuds/Footloose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Merlin and Arthur show up at Gaius' house in the middle of the night, flushed and breathless, he doesn't know what to expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathless at My Door

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of the Prompt Request #2 Round for Loaded March Extras:
> 
> Prompted by rynne (LJ):  
>  _"Merlin telling Gaius that he and Arthur want him to officiate their handfasting in part 10"_
> 
> A missing scene from LM#10.
> 
> * * *

They were breathless, the both of them, as if they'd run from a long way away, but the train was only a few blocks over, and Arthur had made them run harder routes during physical training that barely had them break a sweat.

Arthur was golden and pale in the streetlight that cast him from behind, shrouding him with a crown and an angelic glow that made Merlin's heart stutter to look at him. Arthur's eyes were bright with the sort of joy one only ever saw when all of their Christmases had all come at once. His mouth half-quirked into a smile of disbelief, already forming the words _Yes, I do, I want, I need, Yes_ and struggling to hold them back.

Merlin stumbled into Arthur, revelling in the hard, solid warmth of him. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur's shoulders, buried his face in the crook of Arthur's neck, and tried to find a way to get even closer when Arthur's arm snaked around his back and pulled him in, holding tight.

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked for what must have been the eleventh or twelfth time. Arthur answered with a kiss on his cheek just like he had every other time.

Merlin might tease Arthur mercilessly for organizing missions to the most minute detail. He might yell at Arthur when he didn't include the rest of the teams on the planning. He _definitely_ yelled at Arthur when Arthur was working on their future hypothetical wedding and became so involved with it that he forgot to ask Merlin what he wanted.

But when it came down to it, Merlin was just as bad as Arthur. He planned things, too. 

Except when Merlin planned things, they were _dreams_. They were _wishful thinkings_. They were fantasies that he hoped would one day come to light, because he couldn't see anyone else in his future.

"You keep... you keep asking that, _Mer_ lin," Arthur whispered, lips pressed against Merlin's ear. There was a tremble that passed through Arthur's body and ended in Merlin. "Are _you_ sure?"

There was a break in Arthur's voice, the tiniest waver. Merlin pulled away only a little, Arthur's arms tensing and holding him close. Merlin wished he could see Arthur's eyes, shadowed as they were by the streetlight from behind.

"Never more sure of anything in my life," Merlin said, and if his voice trembled --

Well, Arthur huffed a laugh anyway. "We can wait."

"No, we can't. We shouldn't. We want this, yeah? I don't want to wait another second."

"What are you waiting for, then?" Arthur said. Arthur turned them both around and tilted his head toward the door. "He's _your_ uncle. I'm not waking him up from a sound sleep --"

Merlin let go of Arthur and reached for the doorbell. Arthur held him firm, his finger a centimetre away.

"Will he be mad?"

"Maybe." Merlin stretched. He gained a half centimetre.

"It's only a few hours before sunrise," Arthur said. "We should let him sleep."

"Are you changing your mind?"

Arthur twirled Merlin around and reached to hit the doorbell himself. The soft chimes rang through the house, low at first, then louder and more insistent. "No, absolutely not. Never."

Merlin laughed. He leaned in and caught Arthur's lower lip in his own, sucking on it teasingly. Arthur pressed in, insistent and demanding. The kiss deepened, hands roamed, clutching the other --

The house lights flicked on.

Merlin and Arthur broke apart with a startled laugh. Arthur sheepishly pulled his hand away from the doorbell. They both withered a little under Gaius' raised brow.

Gaius' hair was sleep-mussed, his sleep pants and shirt wrinkled and askew, still struggling to get into a familiar ratty green dressing gown.

The silence stretched.

"As much as I enjoy seeing you, perhaps we could try this visit again at a more civilized hour?" Gaius asked.

"I'm sorry, Gaius," Arthur said.

"We're getting married," Merlin blurted out.

Gaius' sour expression at being woken up in the middle of the night vanished, and if it were at all possible, his eyebrows shot up even higher. All traces of sleep vanished and was replaced by a jovial smile. Gaius enfolded Arthur and Merlin in a hug that lasted long minutes before stepping away. He patted Arthur's arm and gently slapped Merlin's cheek. "Congratulations. I am very happy for you."

Merlin beamed.

"Now go away. I'm an old man, and I need my sleep. Make sure you call your mother to let her know the good news, Merlin -- preferably in the morning. I'd rather she didn't call me in five minutes to start planning the wedding." Gaius headed into the house.

"Wait," Merlin said. Gaius half-turned around.

"We would like you to officiate," Arthur said. Merlin elbowed Arthur; he sounded so formal.

"I'd be most pleased to," Gaius said. He smiled at them one more time, and shut the door.

Merlin stuck his foot in before the door could slam shut. "Can you marry us? Tonight? Please?"

Gaius opened the door wide. This time, his eyebrows had disappeared completely into his hairline. "Tonight?"

Merlin nodded.

"Without your mother there?"

Merlin winced. Arthur's hand slipped down Merlin's back to pull at the fabric of his shirt. "Um. Yes?"

Gaius lowered his head in disapproval.

"We're getting married. All the bells and whistles if I can help it," Arthur said, blocking Merlin's elbow into his ribs. "Whether or not Merlin wants them. And everyone will be there. But this... we wouldn't be asking if it wasn't important."

Arthur's expression was full of reserve, with the shutters ready to fall if Gaius would refuse. 

Merlin knew that they could wait. That they probably should. That if they were going to be married, they had to do it the right way.

Everything in their relationship had started wrong, hurried, nearly backward, and for all their sometimes-fumbles, everything they had done had felt _right_ anyway. Proposing to Arthur and getting married _now_ , with just the two of them -- Merlin couldn't explain it. He needed it as much as he needed to breathe, and he knew that Arthur felt the same way.

He wasn't sure if he had the words to make Gaius understand that.

"It's for _us_ , Gaius," Merlin whispered. And maybe, just maybe, Gaius _did_ understand, because something eased in his expression.

Arthur squeezed Merlin's waist.

Gaius looked at Merlin, at Arthur. He nodded once, short and curt, and sighed. "Your mother will _murder_ me. Come inside. I need to change."


End file.
